


One Thing That Stays Mine

by Night_Hawk94 (orphan_account)



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), bughead - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Angst and Smut, Betty and Jughead have good friends, Eventual Smut, F/M, Getting Back Together, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, Time Jump, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, basically Bughead need to talk, ex’s to lovers, post break up discussions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:00:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25371283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Night_Hawk94
Summary: It’s been four years.Since they’d graduated.Since he’d left her in bed early one morning with nothing more than a kiss on the cheek and a note wishing her well.Their lives had been miserable ever since. Successful, but miserable. Both of them living under false facades just to get by.But all of that changes when their friends intervene, locking Betty and Jughead in Pops together for the night, forcing them to confront the past and, with a little luck, mend it.
Relationships: Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 76
Kudos: 141





	1. No One Else Will Have Me Like You Do

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short story that I’ve been thinking about for a while and wanted to share with all of you. Hope you enjoy Xx

_He was alone._

_But he liked to be alone. The quiet bringing him a sense of comfort and ease. His thoughts able to form and flow freely without any chance of being disturbed._

_He typed away on his laptop, pausing to read over his work and sip his coffee periodically. Like any writer would. But he kept an eye on the entrance to the diner as well. Watching. Waiting for just a glimpse of honey blonde hair belonging a woman he already knew would never come._

Jughead heaved out a sigh, his fingers hovering above the keyboard hesitantly before he sat back and dragged a hand through his already tousled hair.

He scanned over the words again, a tight knot forming in his stomach. Twisting and tugging painfully. Dredging up thoughts. Images that were best kept buried.

“That’s garbage,” He muttered to himself disdainfully, “Foolish ... ridiculous ... never-going-to-happen garbage, Jones.”

Lips twisting, he closed his laptop and pushed it away with more force than he needed. Any desire he might’ve had to carry on slogging through his latest chapter long gone.

He raised his arms above his head, stretchingthe muscles in his back and shoulders before he cast his eyes around the room.

Gloria’s cafe was empty aside from him and the old lady, still drinking her tea at a table just ahead of him. 

It was dark outside already. Last time he’d checked the sun had still been up, hanging low in the sky. He grabbed his phone off the table and looked at the time. _Shit_. He had just over half an hour left before he was due to meet Veronica and Sweet Pea at Pops for dinner.

“Fuck!” He breathed.

He still needed to get home, shower and change his shirt before he could even think about showing himself. Normally he wouldn’t worry about being late for a simple meal with his two friends, but given that they wanted to discuss something important with him, he figured he should try to be on time.

Shoving his laptop into his messenger bag with renewed urgency, he got to his feet and drained the last of his ice cold coffee, leaving some money on the table before he dashed out of the cafe. Disappearing into the night.

~

Riverdale’s only bed and breakfast was small and very quiet.

Not that Betty minded. She enjoyed the quiet. The peaceful atmosphere a welcomed respite from the noisy, non-stop bustle of New York City.

It felt weird being home. Like she’d been shoved back into the past. Nothing about the town she’d grown up in seemed different and while she enjoyed the nostalgia that brought she hated the unwanted memories it conjured up as well.

It felt like she’d never left and yet it had been four years since she’d last set foot within Riverdale’s limits.

Her heart squeezed at the thought and she clenched her jaw, hating it.

Sucking in a deep breath, she smoothed her hands over the pale blue summer dress she had on. She rarely wore dresses anymore, but given that this was a fairly special occasion she felt it was necessary to wear more than some jeans and a t-shirt.

She lifted her head next, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her blonde hair was down for once, framing her face in soft curls and minimal make-up accentuated her lips and green eyes. Enough to hide how exhausted she was.

She looked good. Causal. Like someone who was ready to see her best friend and new fiancé for the first time in years.

Her phone vibrated and she picked it up, a smile curling on her lips when she saw a new text from Veronica.

_V: Glad you got here safely, B. Sweets and I are almost at Pops. See you there!!!!_

Betty giggled. Same old Veronica. Always happy and warm.

She typed back a reply and hit send. Grabbing her purse as she headed for the door.

_B: On my way. Xx_

~

Jughead tapped his fingers on the table in front of him rhythmically.

Despite rushing, he still ended up being a few minutes late, but when he’d walked into Pops and found no sign of Veronica or Sweet Pea anywhere, relief had washed over him.

He’d picked his favourite booth, in the corner near the neon lit front windows.

He fiddled with the collar of his black button down, not quite used to how it felt on him. It was the nicest shirt he owned though and while it seemed like a tad much, he knew Ronnie would appreciate the effort.

He wondered what she wanted to talk about and why it couldn’t be done over the phone. It had to be important. She had implied as much anyway.

He just hoped this wasn’t another one of her famous _“I’m worried and we need to talk”_ moments.

It’s not that he didn’t appreciate her help over the last four years, but he knew what he was getting himself into when he’d done what he did.

He’d made his bed and he was prepared to wallow in it.

“You doing alright there, Jug?” Pop Tate asked, smiling as he approached.

“Yeah. I’m good.” Jughead looked around the diner, noticing just how unusually empty it was for a Friday, “Slow night?” He asked, a little concerned.

“I guess so,” The old man shrugged, “It happens from time to time. Nothing to worry about.” He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out an envelope, placing it down in front of him, “A friend asked me to give this to you. Let me know if you need anything else, okay?”

Jughead frowned, completely baffled as he watched Pop walk away and disappear into the kitchen in the back without saying another word.

He glanced at the envelope and picked it up. It was blank. With no clear indication who it was from.

His eyebrows pulled together even more. 

_What the fuck was going on here?_

He positioned his fingers to it open and find out when a soft, but familiar ringing sound caught his attention.

His heart stopped when he lifted his gaze, taking in the sight before him.

Honey blonde hair ... sea green eyes .... as beautiful and breathtaking as he remembered. Even more so.

He swallowed thickly, feeling his hand start to shake.

It was _her_.

The woman he never thought would come.

~

Like everything else in town, Pops Chocklit Shoppe looked exactly the same.

Betty couldn’t help but grin as she pulled into the parking lot outside the old diner. Bathing her car and herself in the familiar glow of warm neon lights.

She’d thought about the place more often than she had expected to since she’d left, mostly because no other diner in New York even came close to it.

The only distinction she could make was that things were abnormally quiet. In fact the lot was empty apart from a single motorbike parked just off to the side.

Her eyebrows knitted together with disbelief.

As she recalled Friday nights were always busy. Always. She seriously doubted that would’ve changed so drastically over the last four years.

Her heart squeezed with a mixture of worry and pity. She hoped Pop Tate was managing alright.

As she made her way towards the entrance, she eyed the bike, immediately suppressing any thoughts of him. Of them before they flooded her mind.

It was probably Sweet Pea’s anyway.

Definitely not _his_.

Stepping inside, an atmosphere of warmth and familiarity greeted her. She breathed it in. Soaking herself in it until she turned her head and opened her eyes.

She froze and a lump that felt like it was the size of Texas shot up into her throat.

_No ... no ... oh god no!_

She was dreaming. This had to be a dream.

He didn’t say anything, apparently just as shocked. As surprised to see her as she was to see him.

“B-Betty?” He eventually stammered out.

“Jughead?”

She tried to swallow when he stood up and stepped towards her with caution.

She almost considered making a run for it, but his eyes found hers. Holding her. Keeping her rooted to the spot. Mesmerised by the dark blue hue she remembered all too well.

He stopped an arms-length away. Far, but still close enough to cast his frame over her. She’d forgotten how tall he was.

He was older. Still lean, but more filled out than he’d been before. A light beard covered his cheeks and his black hair was still messy and thick and agonisingly soft.

Her stomach tightened.

_Of course it was._

She was about to ask him what he was doing here when he held the envelope he had in his hands out to her.

She took it, looking at him questioningly before she tore it open and read the note inside.

**Please don’t be mad at us - but we think it’s time for the two of you to sit down and talk.**

**This is for your own good.**

**You need this. Both of you do.**

**Remember we love you,**

**Your friends.**

Betty squeezed her eyes shut and inhaled deeply through her nose.

_Oh my god Veronica .... what the fuck have you done?_

A soft click drew her attention back towards the entrance, just in time to see Sweet Pea lock the door before joining Veronica, Kevin and Toni, all of whom were smiling with encouragement.

One by one they moved away until only Veronica was left.

“We’ll be back tomorrow morning. 8am sharp. You have my word.” She promised them both.

Words of protest. Of any kind really failed to form as Betty watched her leave as well, the reality of the situation slowly sinking in.

Jughead was already staring at her when she looked at him, his eyes dark. Intense and filled with the same stark realisation.

For the next twelve hours they were going to be stuck here together. Alone and with an unresolved past. 


	2. No One Else Will Have Me, Only You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two and things gets a little angsty ... buckle up!!! Xx 
> 
> Hope you’ll enjoy this.

**21:34  
**

**Two - three hours alone.**

  
  


She kept her distance, hardly looking in his direction if she could help it. 

He sat in his booth on the opposite end of the diner, leaning forward, his arms folded on the table in front of him, trying to ignore the pang of sadness that seemed to bloom in his chest every time he tried to catch her eye and she refused to meet his. 

After their friends had left they’d stood there in silence. Neither of them certain on what they should say or do next. 

He had shifted on his feet awkwardly, opening and closing his mouth, stumbling over words that had poured out far too quickly to make any sense. 

Her features had hardened as a result, tainted with underlying anger and disappointment before she’d shoved the letter into his hands, turned on her heel and walked away, heading for her own booth, one far from him, without saying a word. 

He had thought about it. What it would be like to see her again. Never sure of what he could expect or how she might react. 

Tonight he had gotten his answer. 

Part of him wasn’t surprised. 

If there was one thing he had anticipated it was that she would be dismissive. That she wouldn’t want to talk to him. 

Jughead twisted his lips and sighed quietly, watching her from across the diner. 

_How the hell could Veronica ever think this would work?_

He checked the time on his phone again. They still had just over ten hours left of being stuck here together, were they really going to spend it avoiding each other and not talking. 

He continued to stare at her. 

She was so fucking beautiful. He had no idea how he’d ever had the privilege of calling her his at one point. 

Or how he’d managed to mess things up between them so spectacularly. 

Four years didn’t seem like a long time, but it was enough to make him doubt if he could still talk to her the way they had back then. 

Because he wanted that. He wanted to talk. 

To mend things ... or at least try to. 

_What would he say though?_

_Where he would even begin?_

He had so many regrets. Small things. Silly things.

They haunted him. Plaguing his mind with thoughts and memories that hurt to think about. Clinging to him. Hardly ever giving him a moment's peace. 

What he had done to her though would always be his biggest one. 

And now she hated him. It was clear she wanted nothing to do with him. Somehow he would have to find a way to change that. 

Jughead gnawed on his lower lip and looked around, searching the old diner’s vintage interior for anything that could help him. 

Nothing stood out or came to mind, until he felt his stomach tighten, growling the way it only did when he hadn’t eaten anything for more than a few hours. 

He was hungry which meant that, with any kind of luck, Betty was too. 

He raised his eyebrows, letting his gaze drift towards the kitchen, an idea forming on the fringe of his brain. 

~

She could feel his eyes on her, burning into her skin. Trying to bore into her soul as he stared relentlessly. 

Betty kept her head down though, refusing to look, to acknowledge him in any way. 

It had been almost two hours since she’d been lured here under false pretences, only to be trapped with the one person she had hoped to avoid while visiting Riverdale. 

Anger bubbled and swirled inside her at the thought. She should feel betrayed. Annoyed that everyone felt the need to get involved in something so personal. 

Instead she was confused, unable to understand how Veronica or any of their friends could’ve thought this would be a good idea. 

Folding her arms across her chest self-consciously, she shifted in her seat, only glancing in Jughead’s direction long enough to see that his eyes were still fixed on her. 

_Was he really going to do that all night?_

Pulling out her phone, she scowled and ignored him, pretending to read some work emails she’d promised not to look at until tomorrow at least. 

She didn’t look up when she sensed him stand and move towards her. She prayed he wasn’t coming to talk. She had know clue what she would say to him. If she would want to say anything at all. 

Her worries vanished though when he went behind the counter instead and turned on the fryer. 

She rolled her eyes. 

_Of course .... he was hungry ... He was always hungry._

Apparently filling his stomach was more important to him than trying to talk like their friends were hoping they would. 

Betty swallowed back the disappointment in her throat.

It didn’t matter. Just because they were stuck in here together and against their will didn’t mean they had to do or say anything. 

She looked away, pretending to read her emails again. Forcing herself not to care. 

She hated that a part of her did. 

With a scowl etched on her face, she took no notice of what he did after that. Even when she heard noises coming from the kitchen and the inviting smell of freshly fried chips and meat cooking on a stovetop hit her nose. 

Her stomach churned with hunger. Reminding her that she hadn’t eaten anything since lunch that day. That she was supposed to have dinner with Veronica and Sweet Pea. 

She covered her belly with her hand and rubbed it, still refusing to look up. She would wait until he was done, then she would go and make something for herself. 

The noises stopped then and she heard footsteps - heading towards her and not in the opposite direction. 

_Oh god._

She held her breath, staring down at the table until the steps ceased and a plate, loaded with fries and a burger, suddenly appeared in front of her. 

She exhaled shakily and slowly looked up, steeling herself before her eyes met his for the first time in the last two hours. 

~ 

“I thought you might be hungry.” Jughead said quietly. 

She carried on staring at him, her mouth slightly agape, a mixture of shock and disbelief in her eyes. 

In the past he would’ve chuckled and smirked, maybe even teased her a little, but given the delicacy of the situation he chose to smile at her softly instead. Hopeful and encouraging. 

This was an olive branch and he desperately wanted her to take it. 

When shock and disbelief shifted into a degree of thanks, he breathed an internal sigh of relief.

He watched as Betty dragged the plate towards her and ate one of the fries, his lips twitching at the corners, his grin threatening to grow. 

He took her silent acceptance as an opportunity to sit down. 

She froze when he moved, eying him as he slid into the seat opposite her hesitantly. If she had any objections though, she decided not to voice them. 

It was a good sign. Kind of. 

He picked at his food uncharacteristically, eating a chip or two, taking small bites of his burger. She seemed to do the same, nibbling on bits and pieces, keeping her gaze down the whole time. 

As the minutes ticked by he would glance at her, wanting to speak. To break the ice and maybe ease the tension between. 

_Would she listen to him though?_

_Would she even care about or believe anything he had to say?_

He felt doubtful. 

“You look good.” He tried anyway. 

She stopped eating, glancing at him. “Do I?” 

Jughead bit the inside of his lip when she gave him a skeptical look. Truth be told he could tell that she was tired. Over burdened. Stressed and weary. The dark circles under her eyes just visible enough for him to notice. 

He had hoped that when she’d left this town she would’ve found some measure of peace and rest. 

It hurt to see that she hadn’t. 

“Yeah you do.” He whispered, not taking his eyes off of her. _You’re still the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,_ he wanted to add, but didn’t. 

He thought he saw a smile flitter across her lips. Barely there. Small and quick. 

It made something warm in his chest tug. 

The same quiet from before washed over them again, but it didn’t feel as strained. It was a good sign. A start at least. 

He looked around, searching for something else he could build off. 

When he spotted the salt he grinned, letting out a small chuckle as he reached for it. 

“Remember that time when I was using the salt and the top exploded off and it spilt all over my fries?” 

The soft giggle that trickled from her throat was unexpected. It made his stomach summersault. 

“I remember,” She smiled slightly, eying the salt shaker as well, “You were so devastated. I don’t think I’d ever seen you so sad.” 

“Yeah I was,” He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling it warm, “You gave me your chips because you felt bad for me.” 

“And you insisted we should share them because you knew how much I loved my fries.” 

They both laughed together, the memory fresh, playing over in their minds. The happy sound surrounding them. Filling the empty spaces between them. 

The last four years fell away then and he was 18 again, happy and in love. His heart fill and intertwined with the girl sitting opposite him now. 

It felt so good. So natural. _So_ _right_. The weight he’d been carrying in his heart for years slowly easing. 

Until their laughter died - that feeling fading as fast as it had formed. 

~ 

Laughing made her feel warm. Normal. Almost comfortable. Like a release she’d been chasing and had finally caught. 

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d genuinely laughed like that. Her mind at ease, to the point where she almost forgot everything. 

_Almost._

Her smile slowly vanished, dismay seeping it’s way back into her heart. 

“You left,” She said, so quietly her voice sounded like a whisper in her ears, “When I woke up that morning and you weren’t next to me in bed I thought maybe you’d gotten up before me. That I would come downstairs and find you writing and drinking coffee or making breakfast in the kitchen or something, but you were just ... gone.” 

She stared at him, a pained, anguished look in her eyes. 

He shifted in his seat, guilt clouding his features. 

“Betty, I -“ 

“- We had a deal!” She said, cutting him off, anger swelling inside her again, “We made a promise, Jughead and you fucking broke it!” 

Her voice cracked with emotion, a sob threatening to slip out as she finished. He winced and clenched his jaw, his eyes closing like she’d just slapped him across the face. 

Part of her immediately felt bad.

By nature, she wasn’t a cruel person. She took no pleasure out of seeing him like that. 

It was simply the truth - which hurt more than anything else. 

No amount of food or fond memories would be able to change that either. In her mind very little could. 

Still she waited patiently. Watching him. Giving him a chance to process things properly. To do something. 

Maybe he would come through. 

In a diner full of empty booths and seats, he was here. He had approached her first. Extended his hand. 

He wasn’t avoiding her. He wanted to talk. 

All he had to do now was say the right thing. 

Instead she was met with silence and what looked like an ashamed expression, tinged with longing and regret. 

Feeling herself deflate, Betty looked off to the side, her eyes stinging as fresh tears started to form. 

She sniffed, wiping them away before they could fall. Acutely aware of his lingering gaze and it’s growing intensity. 

“You know what,” She mumbled, “I’m actually not hungry anymore.” 

With a bitter stare, she shoved her plate of half eaten food towards his, barely registering the soft clink as they collided, before she stood up and walked away. 

She couldn’t be there. Not now. 

Not for the next nine hours. 

She settled in a new booth and bunched the coat she’d brought with her up into a makeshift pillow, laying down so she could hide and hopefully get some rest. 

She squeezed her eyes shut and breathed in through her nose, trying to switch off, but sleep never came.

Only more tears. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I may have added another chapter to this ... hope that’s okay ;) 
> 
> Thank you for reading Xx


	3. I’m Here And Now I’m Ready, Holding On Tight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: feelings get expressed ... and there’s smut.

**01:43**

**Four - six hours alone**

Maybe he was a coward. 

He certainly felt like one. 

A big stupid moron, left tongue tied in the one moment when he definitely shouldn’t have been. 

He didn’t blame her for being angry. He was as well. At himself for disappointing her. Hurting her again. For letting her walk away. The whole point of them being locked up here together was so that they could confront their past and unresolved issues. 

So far all he had done was fuck things up between them further. 

Jughead heaved out a sigh, staring at his cold plate of uneaten food. His appetite long gone. 

How could he possibly eat when the woman he still loved with all his heart, hated him with all of hers? 

It had been almost two hours now and he was still silent, his gaze fixed on the booth where she was. Avoiding him at all costs. Probably hoping that their remaining hours together would melt away while she slept. 

He was running out of time. Every second. Every minute that ticked by kept reminding him of that. 

_Was he really going to stand by and let this opportunity slip away?_

He groaned and dropped his head into his hands. Frustration and self-loathing boiling away inside him. He didn’t want to leave here as nothing more than a wimp in her mind. As someone who had refused to try. 

Suddenly she stirred and sat up straight, exhaling and wiping her eyes which looked oddly red and slightly puffy. She didn’t appear to be all that rested. In fact she looked even more drained than she had before. 

It made him wonder if she’d been doing something far less pleasant than sleeping. 

Jughead drew in a long, deep breath as he watched her roll and stretch her neck, anger still swimming in her eyes when she sent a quick glance in his direction. 

His heart shuddered and he pressed his lips into a tight line. 

“Fuck it.” He murmured, gathering all the courage he had left inside him before he stood up and stormed over to her. 

He was going to do this. 

He was going to face his fear and tell her the truth. 

She already hated him. The least he could do was help her understand why. 

Betty heard him coming and looked up, narrowing her eyes as he approached, but it didn’t deter him. If anything it only fuelled his decision further. 

He stopped just short of her table, hesitating. Momentarily unsure before he cleared his throat, swallowing hard. 

It was either now or never. 

“You know, when you told me you were going to give up your spot at Yale so that you could come with me to Iowa, I was so happy. I saw that future, the one we always joked about having together and it was all I wanted.” 

Jughead went over to a nearby table and leaned against it so that he was facing her, his heart thumping loudly in his ears. His hands sweating already. 

“Then I started to think ... what if you ended up regretting that decision and came ... to hate me.” 

Her eyebrows pulled together immediately. “What! How could you ever think -“ 

“Please,” He stopped her quickly, his voice pleading, his gaze soft, “Please, Betty ... Just ... just let me get this out.” 

Confused, she opened her mouth like she was about to argue, but decided to stay silent instead, letting him finish. 

“I remember that promise we made to each other. That we would stay together and try to make it work. That we wouldn’t give up on ‘us’ no matter what,” He sucked in a shaky breath, his vision blurred with tears. His voice thick with emotion when he continued, “And I broke it ... I know. I’m so sorry, Betty. I really am, but you have to know that I’m prepared to spend the rest of my life apologising for it.”

“Why?” She whispered, completely stunned by his confession. 

He stared at her, conviction clear and unmistakable in his eyes. 

“Because these last four years have felt like I’ve been slowly suffocating, but when I saw you tonight it was the first time I was able to breathe properly.” 

~ 

Betty blinked, feeling as though she’d just been slammed into a brick wall repeatedly. 

He stood there in front of her, his heart bare and vulnerable. Waiting for her to say something. To do anything. 

A flurry of emotions swirled around inside her. Clouding her thoughts. Making it impossible for her to think straight. She frowned and stood up slowly. 

“I don’t understand though. If that was how you felt then why the hell didn’t you just talk to me?” She demanded, “We could’ve figured it out together! I would’ve told you that you were wrong!” 

Jughead winced, grimacing more and more with every word she yelled at him. 

“I know,” He murmured, “That was the problem.” 

She stared at him, dumbfounded. Rage flaring up inside her before she spoke. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” 

Folding his arms across his chest, he turned his head away, avoiding her gaze. 

Avoiding the question. 

She clenched her jaw, curling her fingers into her palms. _Oh no he wasn’t going to do this. He wasn’t going to recoil from her again._

Not now. 

“Don’t you dare close me out, Jughead Jones,” She warned, taking a step towards him, “You don’t get to do that. Do you have any idea how difficult the last four years have been for me? Not knowing what happened or if I did something -“ 

“- You didn’t do anything wrong!” He cut her off firmly. 

“Then tell me why you didn’t say anything to me!” 

“Because just hearing your voice would’ve changed my fucking mind alright!” 

With her mouth agape, Betty froze, the full force of his words crashing into her like a tsunami. 

She had pictured this conversation before. Imagining what she would say and what he might say in return. This was one scenario, one reaction she had never conjured up. 

Stunned into silence, she watched Jughead as he sighed and shook his head, the anger lines on his face softening into sadness and regret. 

“Believe me, I know it makes no sense now, but you were giving up a massive opportunity for me, Betty and at the time I thought I was doing the right thing by walking away, but I was an idiot and to this day leaving you was the worst decision I have ever made.” 

He was on his feet as well now, his chest heaving by the time he finished. His blue eyes intense, piercing right into hers. 

“You really expect me to believe that?” She asked skeptically, bitter traces of hurt in her voice, “You could’ve told me this years ago!” 

He shrugged. “You seemed happy. It looked like you were doing well in college and with your career. I ... I didn’t -“ 

“- Happy?” She cried, hot tears seeping out and wetting her skin, “I was miserable. I didn’t give a shit about how well I was doing in college or where I got my stupid internship. You weren’t there when I really wanted you to be!” 

She watched as Jughead’s face crumpled with agony and, for once, she didn’t feel guilty. 

“I know,” He looked at her, defeated. Not bothering to hide his tears as they fell. No longer running from the truth, “And I don’t expect anything. I just know that if I could, I would go back to that moment and change it. I wouldn’t leave, because I’ve been miserable as well,” He forced out a breathless laugh, his mouth twitching at the corners into a despondent smile, “How could I be anything else without you?” 

She stood there, a bit floored by his confession and with every soft breath she expelled, her ire began to fade. 

He was close. So close Betty could feel the warmth radiating off his body. 

It made her shiver, her nerves prickling with an old feeling she had kept buried for so long. 

She swallowed thickly and before she could talk herself out of it, she moved, until she was pressed up against him and her mouth collided with his. 

~

Jughead felt as though he’d been struck by lightning. 

It took his brain less than a second to register that she was kissing him. 

_That Betty Cooper was kissing him._

He stilled against her at first, not sure if what was happening was real or just a figment of his imagination. 

Then he moved. Moulding his mouth to hers, slowly, then deeply, in a torrid, messy kiss. He reached out for her, his hands squeezing when they found her waist, a groan spilling from his throat when her fingers sank into his hair and their tongues touched. 

He dipped beneath the skirt of her dress, tracing the pads of his fingers over the soft, bare flesh he discovered there. Cupping her ass in his palms. The breathless gasp she let out swallowed by another desperate kiss. 

She was giving herself over to him and like a man starved, he ate her up. 

~

Betty’s head was spinning. 

Her heart pounding against her rib cage when his hands went lower, sliding around the backs of her thighs before he hoisted her up in his arms. 

She wrapped her legs around him, lowering her forehead on his, closing her eyes. Afraid to look in case it all turned out to be a dream. 

“Fuck, I missed you.” He breathed quietly, kissing her again. Digging his fingers into her skin. 

She moaned when her back came into contact with something hard, his chest flush against hers. Hot, ragged breaths passing between them. 

“Me too,” She whispered back, reaching down, grabbing his belt buckle, “You have no idea.”

The feel of his cock, already hard for her and restrained by his jeans, setting the blood in her veins on fire.

~ 

Jughead growled, low and heady, and pressed into her even more, mouthing the hollow of her neck while her fingers worked, undoing his buckle and zip. 

He hissed, his teeth sinking into her skin lightly, when her warm hand closed around him. Stroking. Adding the perfect amount of pressure. His muscles tensed with pleasure. 

_Jesus ... it felt so incredible._

“Keep that up and I won’t last long.” He warned. 

She giggled against the shell of his ear, running her fingers over and along the length of his dick again, teasing him. 

Groaning, he flexed his jaw, need coursing through him as he anchored her to the wall with the weight of his body and pulled her panties aside, his fingers slipping in, touching her core, feeling how wet she was. 

She moved against him restlessly, whining softly. “Oh my god ... Jug.”

He closed her eyes when a sharp moan fell from her lips, brushing his fingers over her clit, obeying her when she brought her hands back to his face and tilted it up to hers, begging for his kiss. 

He gave it. Moaning with her as he eagerly diipped his tongue into the depths of her mouth. Twisting and curling it with hers. Stealing the air from her lungs. 

~

“Shit, you’re so wet,” He panted roughly, when they broke for air, “Is that all for me?” 

Unable to do much else, Betty nodded, whimpering when he teased her slit. Rolling her hips into his hand, chasing his touch. Addicted to how amazing it felt. 

She moaned again and tongued his lips, feeling the heat building low in her belly start to expand. “Please,” She mumbled, “Don’t stop. Don’t make me wait.” 

She was desperate now, unsure of how much longer she could handle being deprived of _him_ … _of his love._

Thankfully, he didn’t force her to find out. 

She cried out, softly into his neck as he aligned himself with her and slowly pushed in, sliding in deep, burying himself to the hilt. 

They stilled, connected at last and everything melted away. The diner around them. Their years apart. All the anger. All the pain and regret. All the resentment that came with it. Finally replaced with warmth and passion. A deep sense of fulfilment. Of comfort. Like coming home. 

It all faded away until it was them. 

Just them and nothing else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more part to go!!! 
> 
> Thank you for reading!! Xx

**Author's Note:**

> The title of this fic and it’s parts were inspired by a song called 23 by Jimmy Eat World.
> 
> Thank you for reading ... feel free to leave some kudos and comments if you like. I’d love to read your thoughts.


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